This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

A majority of zimbra folders after installation are missing after reinstalling Thunderbird.

  • 11 cavab
  • 0 have this problem
  • 6 views
  • Last reply by w7wll

more options

I had to reinstall Thunderbird. A majority of the original Folders after installation are missing. Not in Trash. It is an IMAP account.

The Folders still exist on my ISP Zimbra webmail account.

I read what seems to apply in the Help section of Mozilla Thunderbird but couldn't find anything helpful.

How do I (can I) copy and move the missing Folders and the saved messages in them back into Thunderbird?

I'm a truly novice user please be as clear as possible.

I had to reinstall Thunderbird. A majority of the original Folders after installation are missing. Not in Trash. It is an IMAP account. The Folders still exist on my ISP Zimbra webmail account. I read what seems to apply in the Help section of Mozilla Thunderbird but couldn't find anything helpful. How do I (can I) copy and move the missing Folders and the saved messages in them back into Thunderbird? I'm a truly novice user please be as clear as possible.

Modified by Wayne Mery

All Replies (11)

more options

If it is an IMAP account, nothing is lost. highlight the account name in left sidebar, rightclick and select 'subscribe' and you may see the missing folders to tick there.

more options

None of the missing Folders are listed.

more options

Are all the folders IMAP, or are some local folders? You might also check the advanced button in 'server settings' to see if only subscribed folders are shown.

more options

The only Folders listed are those currently shown, none of those originally there ( but in my webmail account) are listed.

How do I import the webmail Folders, originally in Thunderbird, back to the Thunderbird files?

more options

Oops. I think a response to someone else got mixed in here. On your question, what are these 'webmail folders' to import? Is it that you downloaded them?

more options

A bit of a late response, but I had to talk with the ISP person most familiar with their webmail program (called Zimbra). They are clueless with regard to Thunderbird.

Tthe missing folders were originally created in my Thunderbird acciybt which is set up as IMAP. My Zimbra ISP account is IMAP and when the folders were created in Thunderbird they automatically were setup in the Zimbra webmail (I don't understand the process but they are there with all of the messages intact).

I see Thunderbird has an import process for a Becky webmail but my ISP doesn't know what that is.

Would it be feasible to just download the missing folders and then upload them to Thunderbird (not sure how) OR could I possibly try the Becky webmail option in Thunderbird and try to import them from the Zimbra webmail account? I don't know how different the two webmail programs are.

more options

> I had to talk with the ISP person

Who is your provider?

What is the exact process you used to "reinstall Thunderbird"?

more options

The internet provider is Peak Internet. I removed Mozilla Thunderbird using Uninstall under Control Panel. The reason for the Uninstall was a number of problems I was experiencing with Thunderbird after an unanticipted PC shutdown by loss of AC power to the area. I reinstalled from the Mozilla Thunderbird site. The reinstalled version did NOT relist any of the folders I had added over time. The only ones listed were the standard folders. All of the folders I set up on Thunderbird appear and are accessible on the Zimbra webmail account that is set up when you subscribe to Peak. My Peak account is IMAP. I do not know how to 'copy' the webmail folders back into Thunderbird which is my preferred email use. The Zimbra webmail is not easy to use nor does it have all the Thunderbird features.

more options

w7wll said

A bit of a late response, but I had to talk with the ISP person most familiar with their webmail program (called Zimbra). They are clueless with regard to Thunderbird.

I should think a trained tech with zimbra should be familiar with Thunderbird.

w7wll said

The missing folders were originally created in my Thunderbird acciybt which is set up as IMAP. My Zimbra ISP account is IMAP and when the folders were created in Thunderbird they automatically were setup in the Zimbra webmail (I don't understand the process but they are there with all of the messages intact).

This is the way imap works - what exists on your mail server (webmail) is mirrored on your computer and vice versa.

w7wll said

I see Thunderbird has an import process for a Becky webmail but my ISP doesn't know what that is. Would it be feasible to just download the missing folders and then upload them to Thunderbird (not sure how) OR could I possibly try the Becky webmail option in Thunderbird and try to import them from the Zimbra webmail account? I don't know how different the two webmail programs are.

No. Thunderbird's import process depends on using application files which are already on you computer.

more options

Zimbra is not your mail provider. What company is providing your mail?

more options

I know, the company is Peak Internet and I've not found anyone on the staff who knows or will admit they know anything about Thunderbird. The answer is we don't support any mail program but our Zimbra.

Since these are IMAP files/folders there must be a way to copy them and reinsert them into Thunderbird. I'm a user and generally can get around issues, but this one has me flummoxed.